Julius Caesar was an societal elite in ancient Rome credited with beginning Rome's transition from Republic to Empire. He formed a political alliance with two other elites, Crassus and Pompey, called the First Triumvirate. Riding the Alliance, he built up his power politically and militarily to the point where he betrayed and overthrew the other two members of his alliance. After winning over the love of the Roman people, he denounced the Senate's power and declared himself leader of Roman Empire. While totalitarian, his reign brought great success, stability, and economic prosperity to Rome. Caesar, however, failed to meet one requirement of a stable empire: keep the elites happy. Senators, dissatisfied with losing their power, plotted and assassinated Caesar on the ides of March. They were lead by elites Brutus and Cassius. His death prompted unrest and civil war within the empire, ending with Octavius taking power under the now imperial Rome a few years later. This coup and political turmoil was made famous by, who else, but William Shakespeare, in his play titled Julius Caesar. The play dramatizes these events and portrays how power and arrogance corrupt men's noble intentions. It serves as a classic example of the tragic hero in literature, arguable featuring three distinct tragic heros. Some historians believe the tale was meant to mirror the political situation in Shakespeare's home of England at the time of its writing. Benevolent Queen Elizabeth had been in power for quite some time and seemed to have taken quite a bit of power from the democratic house of commons. Shakespeare's play was likely a political commentary meant to get the British people thinking about how to avoid a civil war in their own country.
